All Courses

Comprehensive Training for Innovative Entrepreneurs

Each week I will release courses in the Essentials: the Complete Startup Package, a sequence which systematically teaches the fundamentals of innovative entrepreneurship. Then I will release Master Classes in various subjects. In the future, I will release sequences of professional courses for investors, lawyers, established companies, and other specialty audiences.

*Courses subject to change

The Essentials

The Complete Startup Package

The Essentials teach you to create a startup from the conception of the idea through formation, funding, operation, and sale. The courses are accessible to both aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors and form a comprehensive curriculum based upon fundamentals, strategic thinking, real world examples, and practical advice.

Part One: Creating a Startup

1. Creating Innovation
1.101: Secrets of Innovative Companies
1.102: Creating Lean
1.103: Design and Data
1.104: Agile, Pivots, and Lean

2. Protecting Innovation
2.101: Copyright and Trademark
2.102: Patents
2.103: Driving Innovation Through IP Strategy

3. Creating Companies
3.101: Set Up Step By Step 
3.102: Common Stock and Options 
3.103: Founders and Early Talent
3.104: Best Governance Practices

Part Two: Financing a Startup

4. Financing Innovation
4.101: Fundamentals of Startup Investing
4.102: Preparing for Fundraising
4.103: Angels and Early Investors
4.104: Venture Terms: Economics
4.105: Venture Terms: Control and Protections
4.106: Creating Cap Tables
4.107: Diligence and Disclosures
4.108: Strategic Investment and Venture Debt
4.109: How Venture Funds Work
4.110: Down Rounds  
4.111: Other Funding Sources, Securities, and Bad Deals
4.112: How Not to Raise Money

Part Three: Operating a Startup

5. Legal
5.101: Contracts for Entrepreneurs I: The Basics
5.102: Contracts for Entrepreneurs II: Startup Issues
5.103: Trade Secrets and NDAs
5.104: Basics of Global Business

6. Talent, Finance, and Operations
6.101: Managing Talent
6.111: Common Finance Mistakes
6.112: Dashboards and Measurement

7. Sales and Marketing
7.101: Sales and Marketing Traction

Part Four: Exiting a Startup

8. Realizing Value
8.101: Guerrilla Strategies for M&A
8.102: IPOs
8.103: Other Ways to Cash Out

9. Surviving Distress
9.101 Pivots and Turnarounds
9.102: Surviving and Thriving in Bad Times

Master Classes

Coming Soon!

After completion of the Essentials courses, I will begin releasing Master Classes in these and other areas to go into greater depth on the topics most important to innovators, investors, and entrepreneurs. Master Classes assume all of the knowledge from the Essentials sequence and build upon those lessons.

Part One: Creating a Startup

1. Creating Innovation
1.201: Thinking Creatively
2.202: Lean Startup Methodology
2.203: Product Management
2.204: Pivots and Restarts

2. Protecting Innovation
2.201: Trademarks
2.202: Brand Strategy
2.203: Patents
2.204: Trade Secrets
2.205: Managing a Strategic IP Program
2.206: Making Money from an IP Portfolio
2.207: Open Source Issues
2.208: Patent Litigation Strategies
2.209: Spin-ins and Spin-outs

3. Creating Companies
3.201 Advanced Entity Choice
3.202 Choice of Jurisdiction
3.203: Corporate Governance
3.204: Negotiating Founder Agreements

Part Two: Financing a Startup

4. Financing Innovation
4.201: Reading a Term Sheet
4.202: Convertible Notes and SAFEs
4.203: Creating Cap Tables
4.204: Advanced Cap Tables
4.205: Negotiating Financing Documents
4.206: Restructuring Bad Deals
4.207: Down Rounds and Recaps
4.208: Surviving Diligence
4.209: Strategic Investors
4.210: Venture Debt
4.211: Holding Companies

Part Three: Operating a Startup

5. Legal
5.201: NDAs
5.202: Contracts
5.203: Licenses
5.204: Litigation 
5.205: Creative Dealmaking
5.206: University and Government Licensing
5.211: Avoiding Discrimination
5.212: Sexual Harassment
5.213: Common Labor Violations
5.221: Global Tax Planning
5.222: Joint Ventures
5.223: Special Issues for China

6. Talent, Finance, and Operations
6.201: Compensation Strategies
6.211: Reporting and Systems

7. Sales and Marketing
7.201: Pricing
7.202: Analyzing Sales and Marketing
7.203: Sales Compensation

Part Four: Exiting a Startup

8. Realizing Value
8.201: M&A Term Sheets
8.202: Advanced M&A Process
8.203: Negotiating M&A Documents
8.202: Preparing for an IPO

9. Surviving Distress
9.201: Analyzing Pivots
9.202: Advanced Turnarounds
9.203: Renegotiating Deals
9.204: Restructures and Recaps
9.205: Surviving in Bad Times
9.206: Feasting in Bad Times

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Membership is for one year and renews annually. If you feel you cannot afford to join, or are a student, a teacher, or 24 years old or under, read my page on reduced pricing.

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